


Life searcher

by Anonymouskeeper



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-22
Updated: 2013-08-05
Packaged: 2017-12-15 20:02:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/853498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymouskeeper/pseuds/Anonymouskeeper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being adopted was her worse nightmare. Already having been adopted before, only for that not to have turned out too well, she doesn't want to leave the sanctuary the orphanage gives her, even if she hates it. Bullying and neglect is better than the abuse being adopted brings. </p><p>But when five guys come to the orphanage and decide they want to adopt her, what will she do? Go peacefully or be dragged out of there kicking and screaming? Well, she was never one for dramatics, so . . . Peacefully, probably. Maybe. </p><p>But these guys are special, and she knows it. Being adopted by these guys is going to be different then the other times, she could feel it, she just wasn't sure how. </p><p>But , after having only just met them, she can't help but wander where she's seen them before . . .? Hmm. . . </p><p>Oh, I know! They're One Direction!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The beginning

For some people, life is brilliant. For others, it is horrible, something they just want to get out of. And for a small minority of people, it is just something that you have to do, something that just goes on with you watching, like a film. But everyone has to live through it, whether they want to or not, whether they make the most of it or make the decision to end it prematurely. Whether they want to go ahead and live life to the fullest, or to sit back and watch it fly by.

For some people, it is easy to see which category other humans fall into. It is easy to tell, whether they're hiding it or making in blatantly obvious, if they don't care or they tell people.

I am one of these people. I am one of those people who can decipher someone with one glance, one of those people who can look at a person and imagine their whole life story, whether its true or not.

I am Artemis De Luca, and this is the story of my life, that which has already occurred and that yet to come. 

. . . .

Chapter 1

It was a stormy mid-afternoon when it first started, the beginning of the crazy portion of my life. So far, my life had been insane, horrible, and right down depressing, but this was a whole new level of life to me.

Living in an orphanage was never fun, I had learnt that when I first arrived, all those years ago. I was seven when I was dropped off here, and being twelve now, only moving for those few months I was adopted for before being dropped back off, I had come to terms that living in this dreary old building boring, dull, and absolutely horrible. That day, the 21st August 2007, was the beginning of the horrible portion of my life. Before that, my life had been called, by me, A Living Nightmare, though I don't like to go into that, so I won't, though you can, maybe, if you're observant enough, glean enough from the title of that period to have a tiny little guess what it was like.

Anyway, the 'Happy Haven' orphanage - which was totally opposite from its name, I couldn't help but sneer every time it was either mentioned or I saw the sign hanging outside it on the way back from school, the library or the swimming pool - was a big, crumbling brick building with huge windows and breezy corridors. It was situated at the end of a road with a name that I never bothered learning, somewhere in the middle-class part of London. It was actually a prime location for an orphanage, a good walking from the main shops and a small walk away from the bus stop that took those of us old enough to school.

But it definitely wasn't the best orphanage, not by a long shot. There were around three hundred kids, with about fifty adults helping around. There were ten main people who lived in the orphanage permanently to keep track of all of us. The matron, Ms. Edwards, was a stern, old woman who played favourites with the kids who looked the best and acted the best, usually the meanest ones of the lot. The other nine adults had so many jobs they couldn't spend much time with us unless that was apart of their jobs, which, I suppose, it technically was, if they were employed to look after us.

Anyway, of track again, with so many kids and so little permanent supervisors, most of us got up to all sorts of things, and in the big house we all lived in, bullying was one of them. I am the main prey for all the bears in this building. Being as small as I am - something I am convinced I can change - and as anti-social, so by other peoples standards, weird - I am the easiest to pick on apparently. I have grown up - during the A Living Nightmare period I mentioned earlier - being taught not to cry out, to not get help for anything, to take what is given to me and not say anything. And even now, years after that period, it is still ingrained in me not to tattle on what is happening to me. Not that Ms. Edwards would care - in fact, she'd probably congratulate them and give them more food that is meant to be mine but never is (Aha, maybe that's the reason I'm this small! . . . Now to resolve it.). Like said before, Ms. Edwards was not the nicest, and she was even more horrible to me for reasons that I have suspicions of but have never been sure of. So my mouth was shut, and everyone was happy - well, mostly, but we're not going into that, either.

So, on this rainy afternoon, my life changed (this was where we started at, by they way. I just got completely side tracked. Heh hehe.).

Onto the story.


	2. The Orphanage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd say it in this chapter. I do not know if everything to do with One Direction in this chapter is true, I'm making some of it up.

\- - - With One Direction, in a place I wasn't sure existed until they told me, speaking a conversation I had to force out of them to be able to write this - - -

It was loud. He didn't like it. This was unusual, because he, Louis William Tomlinson, generally like loud noises, shouted conversation, the general buzz of noise. But this, this conversation he was listening to was just too much, too loud, too stupid, for him to listen to any more.

"SHUT UP!!!!!!"

Everyone stopped talking at once, even the big bosses who were supposed to boss them around.

They were in a large, slightly circular room, with big windows on the far wall and a large desk in front of them, five people sitting behind it, all of them men and all of them dressed in pressed, dark suits. They were all older men, and Louis loathed them,

In front of them, five young men stood. He was one of them, and he loved the other four, in comparison to the five old guys behind the desk. The tallest one of the group was broad, with lush curly brown locks and smiling green eyes. The second tallest one had short brown hair styled messily on his head and soft brown eyes that were not made for the glaring they were currently doing. The next one was slender with jet black hair styled in a quiff and melt worthy hazel eyes, which were also glaring at the five men in front of him. The next one was a cute looking blond, hair style a messy disarray and baby blue eyes. And him, with light brown hair and laughing cerulean eyes.

"As we were saying." The one in the middle clears his throat, trying not to make the sound nervous, but Louis grins at the obvious anxiety in the gesture. "We believe that this will bring even greater publicity for the band."

"We have enough fans!" The blond, Niall Horan, cried.

"You have got the attention of millions of girls. But we also need the publicity the attention the older generation will bring us." Another guy said.

"We have discussed that this is the easiest way for this. Adopting a child will prove to adults that you are not just attractive, immature children playing a game to get money." He said, glaring when the curly haired one, Harry Styles, opened his mouth to challenge the 'attractive, immature children' comment. (They were, and still are, in fact, attractive, immature children.)

"We have given you free range over what gender and age it will be, as long as it is under fourteen." The first guy spoke up.

The one with they quiff, Zayn Malik, opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off before any noise could escape his mouth.

"We will not be discussing this. You will be getting the child from London. There are more than enough orphanages there for you to find one."

\- - - Still with One Direction, a week later - - -

They were ready to give up and tell Management that they'd have to search somewhere else for a child when they hit the last orphanage that the old guys that happened to be their bosses decided were fit for them to look at.

It had been all over the newspapers that the band were looking through Orphanages, though they hadn't been able to get a direct statement due to the fact that they were putting it off completely until they'd found the child they wanted.

They had agreed, hours after being told they were to get a child for publicity, that they wanted a girl, around the age of eleven or twelve, although they didn't mind a year or two on either side. But they hadn't found the perfect one yet. They wanted an instant connection with her, something each lad had felt with the others, not a distant interest in all the girls they had seen thus far. They had met bratty pre-teens, shy children, stuck up girls who didn't even look at them, and, too their horror, fan girls. But they still couldn't find the one.

So, this is what brings them here, to a huge, old fashioned building with a big sign outside it proclaiming 'Happy Haven Orphanage!' 

Looking at each other dubiously, Harry, ever the smart arse, muttered to the others.

"Well, it doesn't exactly look happy or a haven!" It was said sarcastically in a way that only Harry could.

The other four members of the famous boy band didn't even look at the curly haired boy, causing a small pout to appear in the strong featured face, but followed the other four boys when they moved up to the sturdy double doors of the orphanage building. 

A moment after they had knocked, the door was opened, creaking loudly in the quiet of the morning. Inside the doorway, a young woman somewhere near her mid-twenties stood. She had chocolate brown hair pulled into a bun and matching eyes. She was smoothing down a rumpled skirt, a matching blazer as a uniform going against the rather poor feeling the building itself had to it.

"Good morning. You must be the boys looking to adopt?" She asked briskly, only just waiting for a nod before ushering them inside.

The interior of the place was old fashioned, and looked vaguely cold compared to some of the other orphanages they had visited in the past week.

"Excuse me whilst I go find Ms. Edwards." The young lady muttered, not waiting for a response before rushing down the long corridor, probably in search of this Ms. Edwards.

\- - - With me - - -

I was upstairs in my small room as the loud clock on the wall outside ticked away the seconds until midday. (I suppose that I was sort of lying when I said that it started mid-afternoon, but I didn't actually meet them until then, so there.) I had a drawing pad in front of me, something that the orphanage was given monthly by the government or something, so I got one. I don't know why, though. I'm rubbish at drawing, and only really like drawing patterns or weird faces. The whole pad is full of writing though, baring the few pages that have some stupid design drawn onto them. I've got a lot weird stuff written in these, though my most important thoughts are written down in my journals. I have a lot of important thoughts, so I've got quite a few journals, and I love them. All of them are bound in dark leather with leaf-like imprints on the cover and the pages are like old parchment. I found them in the attic of this place when I was younger and meant to be cleaning it out as punishment for 'knocking Bethany into a wall!' I wasn't sure who Bethany was then, and I'm still not too sure, but I found out that she was the current female favourite of Ms. Edwards at that time.

I had found them in a dusty corner, hiding in a shelf behind a box of things I never deemed necessary to investigate. I loved them, and have for the three years I've had them. There are seven of them, and I've had to practice my handwriting so that it was smaller and took up less space so that I could spend more time writing in them. I don't know why there were only seven, but I'll make do with what I've got.

Anyway, back on track. It was nearing lunch time, but I wasn't hungry. I hadn't eaten breakfast either, but I never have eaten much. I don't have an eating disorder or anything (at least, I don't think I do) but I've grown up on such little food that my stomach can't handle loads of meals. There is also the fact that Ms. Edwards doesn't like to waste food on people like me when she has so many other mouths to feed.

But that's not the point. The point is, is that it is nearing midday when I hear a monotone voice come over the old fashioned, crackly speakers we have installed in the building.

"Children, please all come down to the main living room. Thank you."

Maria was the one who ran the speakers when needed, and she was a boring person who only spoke in monotone. I couldn't help but find it both amusing and a bit creepy.

Even with the announcement, I stayed where I was, having been told since I had come back three months ago to not come down unless specifically requested, and I had not, so laying on my bed was where I stayed as footsteps from all directions could be heard pounding down the numerous flights we fro some reason use in this place.

Sighing, I looked down at my drawing pad, seeing the song lyrics I had written from memory, and softly hummed to the tune they belonged to as loud voices drifted up from the floor below.

I was, after all, only on the first floor, right near the stairs, because it is a brilliant strategic position.


	3. Chapter 3

\- - - With One Direction - - -

 

It wasn't until hours later, after shaking hands and signing autographs, after eating lunch with too many kids to count, that they were ready to give up and go to home, glad that they were in London so that they could actually go home instead of some over-priced hotel room.

They couldn't believe they couldn't find the right girl yet. The adoption papers were all set, just needing a name and a signature, required background checks done, and all they needed was the kid and they were set to go. But they couldn't find the one they wanted.

By now they were sat in a large, spacious office, Ms. Edwards, apparently the matron of this orphanage, sat behind a large desk in front of them. It made Harry uncomfortably think of school.

"Would you like to have a look around before you decide, sirs?" The woman said stiffly. Harry grimaced at the title.

"Yeah, thanks." Louis said before anyone could object.

And so they were released into the maze of corridors, no guide this time.

"Come find me once you have made your decision." They were told before practically being thrown out.

"Well. . . " Liam Payne started. He was a tall boy with short brown hair.

"Come on lads, lets explore!" And Louis was off. They could do nothing but follow him, hoping their fellow band mate wouldn't get lost or hurt himself.

\- - - Back with me - - - 

I was munching on a biscuit when I heard the footsteps. They were too heavy to be any of the children, and too far apart to be any of the helpers. The voices that soon echoed down the corridor outside further implemented that the footsteps must belong to the people here to adopt.

"We've looked through the whole orphanage, from top too bottom, and we haven't found anyone!" A voice whined. I thought it had an Irish accent to it, but I couldn't be sure.

"Niall, there is still this floor." A calm voice said.

A huff could be heard. I froze at the sound. It was too close. They were outside my door, I was sure. The sound was too loud for the person giving it to be any further away.

"But this is the last door!" The Irish - I was sure it was - voice whined again. I heard the door handle creak as it was taken hold of. My eyes widened, and I stopped breathing, my biscuit dropping from my hand.

"It doesn't even look like a door." Another voice said.

"Are you sure that someone would live in here?" A fourth voice said.

"Maybe you should knock, just in case." A fifth voice said.

HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE??! I shouted in my mind. AND FIVE BOYS!!

A knock was sounded on the door, but I didn't dare answer. There was a few seconds pause after the sound had come, and then the door handle was turning and the door being pushed open.

When the door was pushed against the wall, the sudden onslaught of light was blinding, and I had to close my eyes for a moment as they stung before I felt I was able to open them again. It took a moment for them to adjust, but when they did, I was able to see five figures peering in through the doorway, though only their heads were visible as the all looked into my small room.

I gulped lightly as five pairs of curious eyes stared at me.

\- - - One Direction Point of View - - - 

The boys - well, Louis, actually - had decided to start from the top floor and go down instead of go up from the ground floor, so they had started on the third floor, explored that, and made their way down, meeting a few kids who hadn't come down to meet them, but none that they connected with. 

After about an hour of searching, they had ended up on the first floor at the last door. The ground floor didn't have any rooms, so this was the last place before they made their decision.

Standing in front of the door, they argued over whether or not to knock. The door did look a little small for it to be anything more than a closet, but Ms. Edwards had said that every room on the first floor was a bedroom.

So Liam knocked first, not sure if anyone was in there. Even when nobody answered, they waited for a few seconds before slowly opening the door, making sure that if there was anybody on the other side, they knew they were coming in.

When the door was resting against the wall behind it, Harry's hand holding it open, they all stuck their heads through the doorway, it too small for them to crowd against.

The room was small, much smaller than all the other rooms they had seen that day. It certainly didn't look fit for someone to live in. There was a small window on one wall, and all the walls were mostly bare brick with small strips of wallpaper peeling off them. There was a small chest of drawers crowding one corner, with a small bookshelf next to it. Along the next wall, a thin mattress was lay on the floor, one small pillow a thin blanket on it.

What the boys saw on the bed made them freeze. There was a girl lying on it.

Harry looked at the girl, green eyes shocked and sad. The girl was absolutely tiny, they couldn't discern her age, but if he had to guess, Harry would say she was ten at most. She had small features, and from what he could see of her hands, which were holding what looked like a drawing pad, she had long thin fingers, and her feet, which were spread out on top of the pillow, looked smaller than he thought possible. She had ash blonde hair to her mid back, some strands flying messily around her head, and extremely pale blue-grey eyes.

Those eyes were looking up at them in fear, and Harry's heart broke at the amount of emotion in them.

Glancing quickly at the other lads, he saw their expressions, and knew they had come to a decision.

She was the one.


	4. Chapter 4

I had looked up at them, most probably unable to hide the fear in my eyes. I had always been afraid of men. As I grew up, it had seemed to be the men that had done the most damage, and the fear of the people that had always seemed so much bigger than me had stayed with me since my mother had died. I had a small fear of woman as well, so I guess I was afraid of people in general, but men scared me even more than the so-called fairer gender.

But looking at these boys, even though that fear welled up inside me, I couldn't help but think it felt different than usual. There postures were different than all those others, and their eyes were kind, if horrified.

As said before, there were five boys. They looked to be just out of teenage years, though one or two looked older than the others. They all looked extremely familiar.

One by one, the boys moved into my room. One of them, the oldest looking one, crouched down in front of me. I sat up so that I was nearer eye level with him, crossing my legs on the blanket and setting my drawing pad on my lap.

"Hey. I'm Louis. What's your name?" He said calmly. Alright Louis, why don't you just hold your hand out - it would make it seem like you were talking to a spooked animal even more, I couldn't help but think sarcastically.

I narrowed my eyes at them, scrutinising all five lads before I even thought about answering.

"Artemis." I muttered when I finally deemed them trustworthy enough to at least know my name.

I watched, silently confused as the boy in front of me, Louis, turned his head to give the other four boys a look. It looked like they were silently communicating, and although I wasn't all that interested, I wandered how long it had took for them to learn how to do that.

\- - - With One Direction - - - 

Louis looked down at the little girl, taking in the scared posture.He kept half an eye on her as he turned his head to face the other lads, all of them saying the same thing with their eyes. It had taken them ages to perfect it, but after years of not wanting fans or Management to hear some of the things they were saying, they had communicating non-verbally down to an art form.

'She's the one!' Was shouted in each pair of eyes, although they had already been aware of it when they first saw her, they were now sure that she was the one. Looking directly at Liam, Louis jerked his head towards the door, and getting the message, Liam slipped out of the door to find Ms. Edwards, where he would bring her here and bring the adoption papers.

"How old are you, love?" Harry asked as Artemis' eyes watched Liam walk out the door, even though he had tried to slip out unnoticed.

"Twelve." She licked her lips, beautiful blue eyes gazing up at him. All four lads still in the room looked down at her in shock, not sure if they believed her. She really was very small, but when you looked closer, Harry could see the features that wouldn't really belong to someone too much younger.

Looking at Louis, Harry could see the hearts in his best friends eyes, and knew that the fact that she was on their agreed age just endeared her to him even more.

"I'm Harry." He said when he remembered he hadn't introduced himself.

"I'm Niall." The blond boy with the Irish accent spoke up from next to Harry.

"Hello, I'm Zayn." The boy with the black quiff said. He noticed when the blue eyes focused on the stripe of blond in his fringe, and almost chuckled at the innocent curiosity on the small face.

Its quiet for a few moments after the introductions, and the silence was only broken when the sharp click of heels on stone comes from down the hall.

\- - - From my point of view - - - 

I freeze when I hear the tell-tale click of Ms. Edwards favourite heels on the horribly old fashioned stone floor the hallway outside - and the rest of the building, actually - has. I wasn't sure what she was doing coming down the hallways, but I could tell someone was with her, hearing the low thud of footsteps underneath the sharp click of heels. I wondered if the low footsteps belonged to the boy who had walked out not too long ago, and if so, why he had gone and gotten Ms. Edwards.

I didn't dare look over when I felt the horribly stern presence at the threshold, as after having lived here for as many years as I have, you learn when the boss of the house is standing in the doorway to your room. 

"Artemis." She greeted coldly. I licked my lips before nodding timidly back. She had always scared me.

Looking at the boy who had crouched in front of me, but had by now moved back into standing properly, she nodded sharply before holding out a small stack of papers I hadn't before noticed.

"You need to sign where specified, and then you know what will happen." She said emotionlessly, but I could practically taste the glee in her voice.

'What is going on?' I asked myself.

I watched silently as Louis took the papers, walking over to the guy who had come in with Ms. Edwards to look through them, and presumably sign them for what ever reason.

I was wracking my brains as I thought of who they could be and how I know them, and I could only blink when I remembered one of the girls at school showing of a signed album - at least, that's what I think it was - by five guys. I remembered their faces, and as I looked up at them, it hit me. They were One Direction (the boy band)!

It was at least five minutes before they pulled away, and those minutes were spent in awkward silence, none of the three unoccupied boys knowing what to say or do, just standing there fidgeting nervously, as if unused to silence, and Ms. Edwards standing by the door with her hands clasped in front of her and her back so straight it had to be uncomfortable. I was too shy to open my drawing pad back up, so had taken to fiddling with a piece of paper I had ripped out of it a while ago and stuffed back in there after I had written something that had absolutely nothing to do with the section of the pad it was in before it was ripped out and moved it to the back. It was being folded into triangles in my annoyingly small hands, but my fingers were perfect for folding pieces of paper into small shapes.

Blinking down at the piece of paper, I made a mental note too, as soon as all these people had gone, go to the library and get a book on origami. I remembered that it was the art of folding paper or something, and decided that I wanted to have a go. It was a weird thing to think when I had five boys and Ms. Edwards in the room, but, oh well.

"Artemis."

I jumped at the sound of my name, looking up shocked at the curly haired boy, Harry, who had uttered it.

"Come on, I'll help you pack."

I blinked up at him, my eyebrows scrunching together. I had absolutely no clue as to what he was going on about. My confusion must have showed on my face, for Harry chuckled a bit before bending down to my level and opening his mouth to, hopefully, explain what was going on, as I must have completely zoned it out whilst thinking about my plans to pursue origami.

"You need to pack. We're adopting you."

'What!!!!?'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are appreciated, as well as ideas as to what happens when they get settled. I already have the next chapter mostly written.


	5. Chapter 5

\- - - From Harry's point of view, sort of. - - - 

He watched as she processed what he had just said, the thin eyebrows crinkling together as she ran the thought through her mind.

"You're adopting me?"

He had to bite his lip to hold in a coo at the sound of her voice. It was low, and he found it was quite hard to hear, and she spoke relatively slowly. It was like she was thinking over and over what to say before she actually spoke, and he found it absolutely adorable - especially as he had the same trait.

He had always loved children and even though this girl was twelve years old, she just seemed so much younger, so the joy he felt at having something in common with this child was overwhelming.

Still looking into those pale eyes, he smiled.

"Yeah, Louis just gone to talk some things over with Ms. Edwards, and Liam had gone with him because he's the most responsible, and we don't really know if Lou will remember everything. Zayn and Niall have gone to get the car, and I volunteered to help you pack." He explained.

She narrowed her eyes at him, and he wondered if she was always this suspicious, but she nodded, and set her drawing pad on the mattress - he refused to call it a bed - and scooted to the edge, bending her knees to get up.

She never got the chance to heave herself off of what was pretty much the floor, though, as Harry had reached down and picked her up by the armpits, mentally frowning at how little she weighed, and lifted her to eye level with him, her feet dangling over a foot above the ground.

She let out a small, surprised squeak, and he chuckled before lowering her down on the floor.

"Where are your clothes?" He asked, the question mostly unneeded as he headed towards the chest of drawers.

"I don't have very many." A quiet voice said from behind him and down, but he didn't jump, too used to his band mates coming up behind him unannounced. "They're all in the top drawer. I've got a bag in the second."

Harry quickly opened up the second drawer, pulling out a frayed, nearly unusable bag. He frowned at it, not liking the look of what was happening to Artemis here from what he had seen so far.

Peeking down at her for a moment before handing her the bag, he opened the top drawer as she opened it carefully.

Green eyes widened as they saw the meagre amount of clothing in the drawer. Pulling out an article of clothing at a time, staring at it for at least 30 seconds each time before lowering into the open bag, he was rightfully angry at the orphanage and anyone else involved for the little girls well being.

Watching as Artemis closed the bag even more carefully than she had opened it, he mentally made a list of the clothes she had and the clothes she would need.

She had two pairs of leggings in the drawer, as well as a t-shirt that looked to be much too large, and one that looked like it would fit better. She also had one skirt and one pair of shorts. She had a small pile of underwear, and a swimsuit tucked in the back of the drawer. Turning his eyes to look at her, he saw that she was wearing a large jumper that she was practically swimming in, and another pair of leggings. 

"Is this all you have?" He knew his voice was dangerously low, and he regretted not controlling his temper when he saw her flinch minutely.

She nodded timidly, before scooting around him and bending down to pick something off the floor. When she straightened up, he saw that she had picked up a pair of sandals and a worn out pair of converse, as well as having slipped on a pair of flip flops that looked much too big.

So she needed proper underwear, fitting shirts, jumpers, a coat, shoes that fit, trousers, formal wear and so much more. Harry sighed - they were going to be spending a lot of time at the mall. Louis would love that.

Quickly checking his phone when it vibrated in the back pocket of his tight jeans, he found that Zayn had sent him a text telling him they were ready to go.

"Alright then, come on." He said, taking her bag and slinging it over his shoulder. Holding out a hand, he waited and watched as she stared at his hand as if confused for a few moments before her eyes darted up to his and she bit her lip.

Tentatively, she reached out for his hand. When he felt the feather light touch, Harry grasped the small appendage in his own, his hand hiding the smaller one from sight completely. Pulling carefully, he led her out the door and down the set of stairs that were a few feet away from her room, keeping an eye on her as they walked out into the cold air.

He stopped when they came up to a large, expensive looking black car, noticing Artemis shivering as they waited for the door to open. He was about to wrap his arm around her shoulder to give her some heat when the door was flung open and Louis sat in the seat nearest them, grinning at the little girl rather manically.

"Artie!!" The blue eyed boy cried, reaching out with two slender hands to grab the girl. Artemis flinched noticeably, and Harry shot a stern look at the older boy, but that didn't deter Louis as he only slowed down his movements as his hands completely encircled the tiny waist and lifted the girl into the car with him and the other three boys, Harry rolling his eyes and closing the door behind them before jogging to the other side of the car and clambering in front of Niall in the two benched back seat.

Artemis was sat stiffly in the oldest band members lap, the white line of her teeth visible as she bit down on her bottom lip.

\- - - From My Point of View - - - 

 

I was sat on Louis' lap, feeling mighty uncomfortable with his arms wrapped around me. I wasn't sure if I should be putting up a fight or not, but I had gone through the same argument in my head, and had decided then, and now, that I may as well just go peacefully. I never have been one for conflict. And besides, they're a famous boy band. If they do anything to me, everyone will be most likely to find out sooner or later - so I wasn't as worried as I would be if I had been adopted by someone else.

I spent the car ride sitting as I was on Louis' lap, occasionally looking around the large car at the other boys, or outside the window, slightly curious as to where we were going, as the longer the car ride got, the less houses and cars I saw, and the more trees and large houses with large gardens, all widely spread apart from each other.

I could feel my eyes widen when the car slowed to a stop, turning off as the boys started climbing out. Louis climbed out as Liam's back disappeared out of the door, and I was passed to the tall short haired boy as Louis probably didn't want to drop me as he climbed out of the car all the way.

I am still under the firm impression that I was too shocked to protest this treatment, not that I didn't speak out because I didn't want to, and I have good reason to believe that. The house we had pulled up too was huge. It was at least three stories tall, with huge windows and a long, winding path leading up to a large dark coloured door. There were wide strips of grass on either side of the path, and I couldn't help but wonder if this was the front or the back garden, it was so huge.

I was broken out of my thoughts when I was, once again, passed to another persons hold. I guessed it was Zayn, as the hip I was precariously placed on was sorta bony, and Zayn had looked relatively thin when I had first saw him.

As we were walking up towards the house, though, I couldn't find it in me to protest at the treatment, even though I was increasingly feeling like I was a mere seven years old again, although bigger. Sort of.

I was soon broken out my thoughts though, as Harry bounded ahead and fumbled with what looked like a set of keys, although I wasn't too sure until he opened the door, and swept his arm in a dramatic sweep as he cried;

"Welcome home!!!"


End file.
